Jon Stewart's Influence

The Most Influential Man In Politics

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One part clown, one part Cronkite, Jon Stewart is a man of his times. Our national satirist, he fills a role that emerges only in rare circumstances, when a political system is chock-full of problems and too many serious commentators shirk their obligations. They’re either co-opted by the state or, as in America's case, they conceive of themselves as party cheerleaders. Worse even is when they consider themselves entertainers, debating furiously and ceding nothing to the other side, because it makes the sparks fly and the ratings go up.

The comedian as commentator

Perspective in such trying situations becomes a commodity. And that’s where comedy enters the picture. Comedy requires a certain detachment from society, an ability to grasp and communicate the quiet absurdity or contradiction in people’s actions, commitments and habits, which would otherwise go unnoticed and unexamined. According to those philosophers of humor, Immanuel Kant and Arthur Schopenhauer, comedy requires pointing out some incongruity, whether real or imagined, like a monkey that uses a typewriter or a monkey that wears a tiny sombrero.

Primarily, comedians employ this tool to examine everyday life. Think of Seinfeld’s “What’s the deal with that?” bit, where the “that” refers to some irrational, commonplace quirk that many people share. It’s a simpler variety of Woody Allen’s shtick.

But sometimes a political system, rife with dysfunction and absurdity, becomes comic gold — it’s funnier than real life — and a great comedian like Stewart will hit his mark again and again. On Christine O’Donnell’s surprise Republican primary victory in Delaware, Stewart does his thing: "If you've got a Google news alert tuned to Republican Party, witchcraft and anti-masturbation, you are probably sick of hearing about how Tea Party favorite Christine O'Donnell clinched the nomination for senator from Delaware."

Stewart’s influence derives from the fact that declaring leaders or policies funny is to criticize them, to point out their irrationality or the incongruence between our expectations regarding good leadership and reality. Biting political commentary is mixed up with innocuous jokes. Indeed, the fact that Stewart makes us laugh — and he does, if The Daily Show’s ratings have a say in the matter — is a damning statement on our current political environment.

If it were difficult to make jokes about our politics, that would mean the system functioned rather harmoniously and successfully, guided by clear principles of ethics and policy making. Good public policy, like Jay Leno, Gallagher (who’s still touring) or Pauly Shore, just isn’t that funny.

Weaved throughout his work, this is Stewart’s point. Funny leaders are generally inept; and our leaders are hilarious. It’s how Stewart, through a fake news show on a channel that exclusively airs comedy, has become the most influential man in 2010. From his perch in lower Manhattan, he gazes out across the nation looking for funny politics, which is to say, politics that don’t add up. And since we lack enough legitimate commentators to make sense of the carnage, especially on television, a satirist like Stewart takes on a great responsibility and stature.

The credible comedian

While he undoubtedly leans left, that Jon Stewart filters the news for comedy, as opposed to party politics, affords him a legitimacy and trustworthiness unparalleled amongst the chattering classes. Unfortunately, too many talking heads have forgotten that, while ideology inevitably influences reporting and analysis, they still ought to aim for objectivity and cool-headed discussion. Agree with him or not, you don’t think Stewart will ever try to sell you bull.

This media criticism is built into the structure of Stewart’s show, which was set up as a satirical take on programs like The O’Reilly Factor. As a result, Stewart sits above the rest of the commentators, somehow more pure, the grinning mandarin who points out our individual and collective misdeeds. It also helps that he might be the smartest person sitting behind a television news desk today, of either the real or fake variety.

More on why Jon Stewart is the most influential man in America after the jump...